Suggestions for choosing a caller.
People organize dances for many reasons: weddings, anniversaries, social occasions, and even fund-raising. Some dances are intended to be a community dance for a one time special event, while others are a regularly scheduled series by a contra dance association. One of the main decisions for the organizers is to choose and invite the caller, and that brings up some things to consider that will have an effect on whether the dance is a success, or not.
As the dance organizer, know your dancers.The caller's choice of dances will depend on whether the dancers are inexperienced, novice, mixed ages, older folks, children, or veteran dancers. If you are planning a wedding dance, get a caller who is very comfortable with a mixed crowd and many beginning dancers, and someone who can give a lot of encouragement. If you are inviting a caller to your Girl Scout Troop dance, choose someone who enjoys working with a younger audience and has a repertory that includes easier, age-appropriate dances. If you have a special group, it is a good idea to ask the caller what experience the caller has had with that particular group.
Some callers will only work with live music, and others will work with recordings. Consider the trade off between live music and cost savings.
Expect to pay the caller, so know your budget and be honest about your limits. A caller who is geographically closer is likely to have less travel expenses. Be forthright about asking what the caller expects to earn. It takes a lot of preparation before-hand on the part of the caller and musicians, aside from the rigors of the dance event itself. It is good to establish the fees up-front and openly.
If you are organizing an advanced dance, or one where experienced dancers can lead the inexperienced, you might agree to limit the walk-throughs. It's a good idea to ask the caller for suggestions on how this will be handled. Talk to the caller about getting people up, active, and successful from the very first dance. Beginning and experienced dancers can easily get impatient waiting to dance if the caller gives too many directions.
Coordinating the caller and the music is a huge factor in having a great dance. Do you choose the band first, or the caller? Either way will usually work. Some people choose the caller first for a special event, and probably the music first for a regularly held contra. Just remember the caller and music need to work together, and be in agreement that the dance event is for the dancers to have fun dancing!